Errm... Stepping in for a second.
Just so everyone is aware, though I should have mentioned it earlier, the game in question is a RPG of my own creation, where clerics aren't tied down by those sort of rules. So there was really no reason for him not to take the sword.
The whole argument we had was whether or not clerics should be given weapons at all. They see cleric as a healer and healer only. I believe clerics can effectively be towards the front in some instances, like against undead and such. This applies to many games. Sometimes a healer can be an effective offensive character given the right circumstances and/or items.
I think what it basically boils down to is my players don't really respect me as a DM (or maybe even a person) and just bitch about rules as a way to question my authority and take little digs at me. But that could be just my paranoia slipping in.
